Dozens of stolen vehicles, equipment recovered during warranted searches of Camrose-area properties: police
Some 100 stolen vehicles and pieces of equipment were found when Alberta police searched more than a dozen rural properties south of Edmonton in late November.
In an update on Friday on the massive "property crime" investigation – as police originally called it – the ALERT agency said the stolen property consisted of vehicles, trailers, farming equipment and other machinery.
Police conducted 17 search warrants at addresses in Camrose and the surrounding area on Nov. 21, 2022, as part of a "property crime" investigation. Pictured here is a tractor with writing on it, including the word "elephant." CTV News Edmonton blurred the other information.
"It is like nothing we have ever investigated before," commented ALERT spokesperson Mike Tucker.
Investigators have identified and talked to "several" suspects, but no charges have been laid yet, he told CTV News Edmonton.
More details will be provided when the evidence is catalogued and processed, ALERT promised.
Police conducted 17 search warrants at addresses in Camrose and the surrounding area on Nov. 21, 2022, as part of a "property crime" investigation. In this photo, a tractor is driven onto a trailer.
"We want to get it back to the rightful owners, we just have to practice due diligence in making sure all the evidence is properly documented," Tucker said.
ALERT warned Camrose residents on Nov. 21 it would be conducting search warrants at 17 addresses in the town and surrounding area over a few days.
Tucker called it "one of the biggest takedown operations ALERT has ever conducted," with 170 officers helping execute the warrants.
Police conducted 17 search warrants on Nov. 21, 2022, in Camrose, Alta., and the surrounding area. In this photo, police tape swings in front of A-1 Rentals in Camrose.
On Friday, investigators confirmed most of the locations were in Camrose, but some were in the local county, Ponoka County, and the Rural Municipality of Hillsdale in Saskatchewan. That municipality is located west of North Battleford.
ALERT, or Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams, is a provincially funded organization that investigates serious and organized crime.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New one-and-done therapy can help curb severe COVID-19 infection: Canadian-led study
A Canadian-led study of a new potential antiviral therapy shows a single dose can help cut the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

Are video games good for kids' brains or bad for them? New research suggests the answer is 'neither'
A small new study has found that neither the frequency of daily gaming reported by pre-teen children nor the specific video game genres they chose to play were linked with their performance on a standardized cognitive tests.
Canada deploys military assessment team to Turkiye after earthquake
Canada deployed a disaster assessment team to Turkey on Wednesday in the wake of a devastating earthquake that's killed thousands, as the federal government faced criticism that the window to help with rescue efforts was closing.
'It was a nightmare': 2 children dead, driver charged after city bus crashes into Laval daycare
Two four-year-old children are dead and a man has been charged with first-degree murder after a driver crashed a city bus into a daycare in Laval, Que. Wednesday morning. The driver, 51-year-old Pierre Ny St-Amand, was arrested at the scene and faces two counts of first-degree murder and several other charges.
Alphabet shares dive after Google AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad
Alphabet Inc. lost US$100 billion in market value on Wednesday after its new chatbot shared inaccurate information in a promotional video and a company event failed to dazzle, feeding worries that the Google parent is losing ground to rival Microsoft.
opinion | Before you do your taxes, take note of these tax credits and deductions you may not have known about
Many Canadians are experiencing strains caused by the increased cost of living and inflation. In his exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, contributor Christopher Liew shares some of the top credits and deductions that you may be able to claim on your income tax return to help you save money.
Indigo payment systems, online store down after 'cybersecurity incident'
Indigo's payment systems and online store are down after a 'cybersecurity incident,' the company announced on Wednesday evening.
Netflix Canada begins password sharing crackdown
Netflix Canada is rolling out its long-anticipated plans to crack down on password sharing, saying it will begin notifying Canadian users today by email about limitations.
Tyre Nichols documents: Officer never explained stop to him
The officer who pulled Tyre Nichols from his car before police fatally beat him never explained why he was being stopped, newly released documents show, and emerging reports from Memphis residents suggest that was common.